Different Network-Centric Operation (NCO) environments often have interfaces that are incompatible with one another and/or are associated with different data configurations and formats. Therefore, ad hoc software applications are usually required before these different NCO environments can interoperate and share data with one another. These ad hoc software applications, however, normally require many unique interoperability services for bridging the different NCO environments together. And because these software interoperability features are specially designed for specific NCO environments, software must normally be redesigned each time any changes occur to the NCO environments themselves and/or to the programs operating within the NCO environments.
By way of further background, an NCO environment can generally refer to and include a robust, globally interconnected, network environment (including infrastructure, systems, processes, and people) in which knowledge, information, and data can be shared timely and seamlessly among users, applications and platforms within that particular NCO environment even when separated geographically or organizationally. By allowing knowledge, information, and data from even geographically or organizationally separated groups to be combined faster and in a more meaningful way, an NCO environment can facilitate decision making and coordinated action that is more effective and timely. One exemplary use of an NCO environment includes the United States Department of Defense in which an NCO environment has enabled substantially improved military situational awareness and significantly shortened decision making cycles.